lightphe

library0.0.25pypypi✓ verified 85d ago

LightPHE is a lightweight partially homomorphic encryption library for Python. It is a hybrid homomorphic encryption library wrapping many schemes such as RSA, ElGamal, Paillier, and more. It offers a more efficient and practical choice compared to fully homomorphic encryption for tasks that demand partial homomorphic capabilities, being faster, demanding fewer computational resources, and generating smaller ciphertexts. The library is actively maintained, with its latest release in March 2026.

auth-security serialization data

pip install lightphe

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · LIGHTPHE

lightphe

auth-securitypythonv0.0.25

Install

6.6s avg

Import

1112ms

Disk

90MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v0.0.25 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.920 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 1.139s · 79.6MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.920 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 6.6s · import 1.085s · 80MB

90MB installed

● package 90MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

LightPHE

✓ from lightphe import LightPHE

✗ from lightphe.schemes import Paillier

The `LightPHE` class acts as a factory to build cryptosystems for various algorithms; direct import of internal scheme modules is not the intended public API.

This quickstart demonstrates how to initialize a partially homomorphic cryptosystem (Paillier), encrypt two plaintexts, perform a homomorphic addition on their ciphertexts, and decrypt the result to confirm it matches the sum of the original plaintexts.

from lightphe import LightPHE # Build an additively homomorphic cryptosystem (e.g., Paillier) # Other options: 'RSA', 'ElGamal', 'Exponential-ElGamal', 'Damgard-Jurik', etc. cs = LightPHE(algorithm_name = "Paillier") # Define plaintexts m1 = 17 m2 = 21 # Encrypt plaintexts (private key is not required for encryption) c1 = cs.encrypt(m1) c2 = cs.encrypt(m2) # Perform homomorphic addition on ciphertexts c3 = c1 + c2 # Decrypt the result to get the sum of plaintexts d3 = cs.decrypt(c3) print(f"Plaintext 1: {m1}") print(f"Plaintext 2: {m2}") print(f"Ciphertext 1: {c1}") print(f"Ciphertext 2: {c2}") print(f"Homomorphic Sum (c1 + c2): {c3}") print(f"Decrypted Sum: {d3}") assert d3 == m1 + m2, "Decrypted sum does not match plaintext sum" print("Assertion successful: Decrypted sum matches expected value.")

Debug

Known issues

gotchaAttempting homomorphic operations not supported by the chosen algorithm will raise an exception. For example, Paillier is additively homomorphic but not multiplicatively homomorphic for two ciphertexts.

fix

Consult the library's documentation (e.g., GitHub README table) to verify which homomorphic operations (addition, multiplication, scalar multiplication, XOR) are supported by each specific algorithm (RSA, Paillier, ElGamal, etc.) before performing operations.

affects: All versions

gotchaDecryption for some algorithms, like Exponential ElGamal or Elliptic Curve ElGamal, involves solving the discrete logarithm problem. While the library handles this, very large plaintexts might impact practical decryption times or even theoretical feasibility if not carefully considered.

fix

Be mindful of the plaintext value range and the computational implications for algorithms relying on discrete logarithm for decryption, especially in performance-sensitive applications.

affects: All versions

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for *: 'Ciphertext' and 'Ciphertext'

You are attempting to multiply two `Ciphertext` objects using an algorithm (e.g., Paillier) that is not multiplicatively homomorphic for ciphertexts.

fix

Ensure the chosen algorithm supports the desired homomorphic operation. For multiplicative operations on ciphertexts, consider algorithms like RSA. For scalar multiplication (ciphertext by a known plain constant), many additively homomorphic schemes like Paillier support it. Refer to the 'Summary of Homomorphic Features' in the LightPHE documentation.

Message does not get decrypted in Python with LightPHE

This generic error often occurs if the cryptosystem was built with one algorithm but operations or decryption are attempted in a way incompatible with that algorithm's properties, or if the keys are mismatched/corrupted. Another common cause is attempting an operation that, while syntactically correct, breaks the homomorphic properties for the specific scheme.

fix

Double-check that the `algorithm_name` used during `LightPHE` initialization is appropriate for your desired operations. Ensure that the `encrypt` and `decrypt` calls use the same `LightPHE` instance (or correctly serialized/deserialized keys). Verify that intermediate homomorphic operations respect the limitations of the chosen scheme (e.g., not performing multiplication if only addition is supported).

Upgrade

Version history

0.0.25latest on PyPI · released May 12, 2026

Audit

Dependencies

pythonrequiredRequired for execution

Agent activity

21 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/serengil/LightPHE ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/lightphe/ ↗